World Cup 2010: Robert Green, I know how you feel, says ex-England keeper Peter Bonetti

There was just one thought which flashed through my mind when Robert Green let
that shot slip between his fingers on Saturday night: Mate, I know how you
feel.

Notorious: Peter Bonetti says he will always be remembered for his blunder against West Germany in Mexico at the 1970 World CupPhoto: GETTY IMAGES

By Peter Bonetti

8:00AM BST 13 Jun 2010

It’s 40 years since I let a similar shot from Franz Beckenbauer bobble into the net in the World Cup quarter-final against West Germany in Mexico, and I still haven’t been allowed to forget it.

Sadly, when it comes to goalkeepers, people only ever remember your mistakes – particularly if they come in big matches. Green made a superb save in the second half of England’s game against the United States but it won’t be that dominating the headlines this morning: instead, the danger now is that he will be remembered for that one mistake. Alone.

That, unfortunately, is a goalkeeper’s lot. Centre-forwards can miss a few chances but, provided they finally grab a goal somehow, all will be forgiven by the punters. With goalkeepers, mistakes are terminal: there is no safety net.

Green will be feeling desperately low about himself but, hopefully, he will also have a good support structure around him.

I was fortunate to have just that in 1970. When we came in after being beaten 3-2 by the Germans, the dressing room was like a morgue.

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Nobody felt worse than me and the first thing I did was to walk up to our manager, Sir Alf Ramsey, and say: “Gaffer, I’m sorry about that first goal. I should have done better.”

Sir Alf would have been within his rights to send me away with a flea in my ear but, to his credit, he simply told me: “Son, don’t worry. Everyone makes mistakes - just don’t let it affect the rest of your career.”

I was so grateful for that understanding from my manager, and my team-mates were just as supportive. Not one of them pointed the finger at me afterwards: they knew how easily mistakes can be made.

Of course, there were tough moments to overcome after that. My home fans at Chelsea were great to me the following season but I did get some fearful stick at away grounds. It’s not easy having to hear about how you cost your country the World Cup every other week.

Green will have to brace himself for that and deal with it, but I’m sure he will. He’s a great professional and the fact is he deserved to start the game yesterday.

His form has been good, he has all the skills you would want in a top-level goalkeeper and his temperament seems spot on. He proved just how much character he has by pulling off that fantastic save in the second half: that took real bottle, not to mention high quality.

Fabio Capello is a shrewd man and a good professional. He did the right thing by keeping Green on the field for the second half - substituting him would have crushed his self-confidence - and I’m pretty sure he will give him another chance. That is certainly what Sir Alf would have done.